Answerth, Berry recalled for Brisbane Lions Game against Fremantle

Noah Answerth and Jarrod Berry are back for the brisbane lions game against Fremantle on Saturday, giving Brisbane two role players it has missed for the past month. The recalls come after a run that has exposed how much the side has leaned on its worker bees and foot soldiers.

Answerth, Berry Return

Answerth has played just three games in 2026, while Berry has managed six. Both had been out of the side for the past month before Brisbane moved them back into the mix for the Fremantle match.

That is a useful lift for Chris Fagan, who has built parts of Brisbane's premiership system around players who do the less visible jobs. Fagan has leaned on Brandon Starcevich, Answerth, Cal Ah Chee and Berry in that structure, with each filling a specific defensive or wing role rather than chasing the spotlight.

Fagan's Role Players

Starcevich was a set-and-forget defender for Fagan before heading home to Western Australia at the end of last season to join the Eagles via free agency. In the Grand Final, he blanketed Patrick Dangerfield, while Ah Chee was assigned to Ollie Dempsey on a wing in the premiership triumph.

Those are the kinds of assignments Brisbane has not been able to paper over lately. Berry has been described as the ultimate winger, while Answerth is a defence-first option who complements a backline that also includes Dayne Zorko, Keidean Coleman, Darcy Wilmot and Jaspa Fletcher.

Brisbane's Recent Strain

The pressure on that structure has grown fast. Last week Toby Greene kicked five goals against Brisbane, Shaun Mannagh kicked five goals the week before and Will Hayward kicked three goals the week before that.

Answerth's back-to-back concussions have been part of the issue, and Brisbane has also been dealing with team defence problems, injuries and inconsistent form. Bringing back two players who can absorb a specific job gives the Lions a clearer shape against Fremantle, and it arrives at a time when the side has been punished repeatedly for losing those smaller but essential pieces.